HAT TRICKS. Notice that each theme answer is in the DOWN position and the circles all spell a "dropping" HAT. And, as we move across the grid, the HAT Drops Down until it ends at the bottom of the grid.
3-Down. Rueful words from a guest who can't stay for dessert: HATE TO EAT AND RUN.
5-Down. Contented sigh during a massage, perhaps: AH, THAT'S THE STUFF!
7-Down. Start of many an answer from Siri: HERE'S WHAT I FOUND.
10-Down. 2002 rom-com starring Jennifer Lopez and Ralph Fiennes: MAID IN MANHATTAN.
11. Instantly, or an apt title for this puzzle: AT THE DROP OF A HAT.
Here's the Grid so you can easily see the Dropping Hat.
Across:
1. Rapper/actor __ Jackson Jr.: O'SHEA. O'Shea Jackson Jr. (b. February 24, 1991), also known by the stage name OMG. He is the oldest son of actor Ice Cube, aka O'Shea Jackson, Sr. (b. June 15, 1969).
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| Father and Son. |
6. "L'__!": "To life!": CHAIM. Today's Hebrew lesson. The word means Life. It is also a male Hebrew name. Two famous men named Chaim are Chaim Weizmann (Nov. 27, 1874 ~ Nov. 9, 1952) who was the first President of Israel, and Chaim Potok (b. Feb. 17, 1929 ~ July 23, 2002) a novelist.
11. "Abbott Elementary" TV network: ABC. If you haven't seen this show, you should.
14. Overflowing (with): AWASH.
15. Natural hair dye: HENNA. Henna is a reddish dye made from dried and powdered leaves of the henna tree. It has been used since at least the ancient Egyptian period as a hair and body dye, notably in the temporary body art of mehndi (or "henna tattoo") resulting from the staining of the skin using dyes from the henna plant. I got a henna tattoo recently. It wore off after a couple of weeks.
16. Furthermore: TOO.
17. Used, as a desk: SAT AT.
18. Tehran inhabitant: IRANI. The best book I have read this year is The Lion Women of Tehran, by Marjan Kamali.
19. Not yet scheduled: Abbr.: TBD. As in To Be Determined.
20. Sleep masks: EYESHADES.
22. Capital of Qatar: DOHA.
24. Old ultrafast plane, for short: SST. As in the SuperSonic Transport.
25. Long stretches: AGES.
26. Add to the payroll: HIRE.
27. Not fooled by: ON TO.
29. Squeeze out all the water, say: WRING DRY.
33. Sheds tears: WEEPS.
35. Abyss: CHASM.
36. Toyota __4: RAV.
37. Estranged: APART.
38. __ Vegas Aces: LAS. Everything you wanted to know about Sin City and more.
39. Higher than: ABOVE.
41. Earn after taxes: NET.
42. Toffee bar brand: HEATH. Yummers!
44. Neck parts supported by travel pillows: NAPES.
45. "Madam Secretary" star: TÉA LEONI. Téa Pantaleoni (née Elizabeth Téa Pantaleoni; b. Feb. 25, 1966) portrayed Elizabeth McCord on Madam Secretary. The show ran from 2014 to 2019.
47. "Go on, git!": SHOO!
48. Loch __ Monster: NESS.
49. Pest on a pet: FLEA.
51. Org. with a Most Wanted list: FBI. Thomas James Holden was the first fugitive on the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Most Wanted List.
54. Polish, as an essay: EDIT.
55. Arthritis symptom: JOINT PAIN.
57. Out of sight?: FAR.
58. Company with orange-and-white trucks: U-HAUL.
60. Lake in the Sierra Nevadas: TAHOE.
61. Baton Rouge sch.: LSU. As in Louisiana State University. This school often makes it into the puzzles. Geaux Tigers!
62. Lightheaded: FAINT.
63. Athlete's peak performance: A-GAME.
64. Tokyo currency: YEN.
65. Does some origami: FOLDS.
66. Famous: NOTED.
Down:
1. Camping spots for desert nomads: OASES.
2. Moves with the breeze: SWAYS.
4. Those, in Spanish: ESAS. Today's Spanish lesson.
6. Admonish: CHIDE.
8. Santa __: hot California winds: ANAs. The Santa Ana winds explained.
9. Overnight option: INN.
12. Bubble tea pearls: BOBA. Everything you wanted to know about Boba tea but didn't know to ask.
13. Cape __, Massachusetts: COD. Cape Cod got its name in 1602, 18 years before the Pilgrims landed on the Cape. Today, it is a popular summer vacation destination.
21. Previously: AGO.
23. The "O" of NGO: ORG. As in a Non-Governmental Organization.
26. That dude's: HIS.
28. "Morning Edition" network: NPR. As in National Public Radio. For a donation, you can get your very own NPR Tote Bag.
30. Foolhardy: RASH.
31. Rant and __: RAVE.
32. __ Saint Laurent: YVES. Yves Saint Laurent (né Yves Henri Donat Mathieu-Saint-Laurent; Aug. 1, 1936 ~ June 1, 2008) was a fashion designed and established the haute couture fashion house bearing his name. He was born in French Algeria.
33. Covet: WANT.
34. Sword that might have a French grip: ÉPÉE. A crossword staple. A French grip refers to a way of holding the fencing blade. The hand is placed directly on the grip, with the fingers spread out and the thumb positioned on the side of the grip.
35. Extended family: CLAN.
40. Steamed bun in Asian cuisine: BAO.
43. Lip balm brand that shares a name with a dawn goddess: EOS. Greek mythology.
46. Hawaiian garland: LEI.
47. Capitol Hill VIP: SEN. As in a Senator.
50. Happy tunes: LILTS.
52. Ecosystem: BIOME. National Geographic defines a Biome as "an area classified according to the species that live in that location."
53. "Boy, do __ a vacation!": I NEED.
54. Get (into) carefully: EASE.
55. One corner of a Monopoly board: JAIL. Go directly to Jail. Do not pass go and do not collect $200.
56. When doubled, largest city in American Samoa: PAGO.
57. Take to the sky: FLY.
59. "Ni __": Chinese "Hello": HAO. Today's Chinese lesson.
Hat's off to all!
חתולה
